How to Find the Right Real Estate Agent for You

To sell your house faster and for more money, it all comes down to who you have working for you and how well they’re getting the job done. So don’t take chances with what could be your very first but arguably most important decision toward selling your home.

Finding a great real estate agent can start as simply as asking family, friends, or your social network for referrals, doing a quick web search, or observing the names of local real estate professionals on the for-sale signs around your community.

But that’s only the beginning.

You’ll want to narrow your search, interview each potential agent, and then choose the one you think will best represent you.

Here are some of the most important qualities of the ideal agent.

Experience

An experienced agent will understand the movements of the real estate market, know how to strategically set the asking price, and have proven methods to effectively market your home to prospective buyers.

That means at least five years of experience, and sometimes much more. The team at the Tyler Goff Group encompasses nearly 20 real estate agents with a plethora of experience.

Expertise

Every local real estate agent needs to hold a valid real estate license, but that’s just the beginning. Look for certifications or designations that add additional credibility. A real estate broker, for example, has met advanced licensing requirements to be able to lead other agents.

Realtor vs. Real Estate Agent

One of the most recognizable designations for a real estate professional is that of a Realtor, who is not only a licensed real estate agent but also a member of the National Association of Realtors, America’s largest trade association.

Local Knowledge

A good agent will know the best neighborhoods of your community like the back of their hand, and they’ll know where and how to find the most likely home buyers. And in today’s housing market, that knowledge needs to extend online. Because the vast majority of home buyers start their search on the Internet, knowing what stands out most to potential buyers and how to obtain top placement of your listing on search engines is essential.

Strategy

How to Price

Good agents will rely on accurate data-driven pricing strategies rather than subjective opinions or sales gimmicks, and the most robust comparative analyses utilize rich, up-to-date MLS data drawn from listings in all stages of the process: active, pending, and sold.

How to Show

Professional photography is a basic expectation for most people trying to sell a home today, and so the real estate listings that really stand out go beyond with optimal staging of furniture and decor, videography to bring the home tour alive, drone photography for better neighborhood context, and 3D virtual tour technology to put all the pieces together.

How to Market

One sign of a great agent is the ability to get a for-sale listing in all the places where a potential buyer might look, and with 92% of buyers in today’s world searching online to get started, it’s essential for that strategy to include high-converting marketing content on top websites, home search portals, search engines, and social media sites. And kudos to the local agent who can keep you updated on all their marketing activities.

Resources

The right agent should have access to a broad spectrum of technologies and tools to support the sale of your home from start to close, as well as a team that can take advantage of all those tools. That should start with a personal, face-to-face meeting where they get to know you and understand your selling goals, but they should also be prepared to demonstrate the technology they use to get the job done right and explain transparently the process you’ll go through.

How to Contact a Real Estate Agent

If you’re ready to interview the best agents on your list, contact them in whichever manner you’re most comfortable. You’re just trying to get on their schedule for a face-to-face meeting, so whether that’s by phone, email or web form isn’t important. You can even get your top candidates started by providing them with information to determine a preliminary home value or a free marketing plan.

Just be prepared to ask them your questions, like these 10 important ones, when you meet.

How to Ask a Realtor to Represent You

Your real estate transaction is likely one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your lifetime, so take your time to evaluate your top agent candidates. As you narrow down your list, ask about the commission you’ll be charged, though this is often standard throughout the local market. Once you’ve made up your mind, call the agent you’ve chosen and ask to move forward in the home selling process. As a courtesy, also let the other agents you’ve interviewed know of your decision.

Can You Work With More Than One Realtor?

While you may interact with multiple agents over the course of selling your home (especially at an open house or when communicating with interested buyers), you want to work with the one who’ll be most committed to selling your home for the most money in the least amount of time, and you should be just as committed to that goal. Your agent is the seller's agent, also sometimes called the sales agent or listing agent. And even if there’s communication between you and the buyer’s agent, that communication should be done through or with your agent as well.